Hello, friend (Try reading my article in Rami Malek’s Mr. Robot voice, it will be more fun). 

Maria Hachem, Business Lead for New Balance EU at Mediahub UK

Let me start by saying – what a great time to be alive.

No matter who you are, what you do, how much you earn, you are inevitably part of the next generation of the internet. After all, and correct me if I’m wrong, you are reading this article on your phone, right?

If you are new to this space, welcome! Everyone is, although some of us might just be a few steps ahead. But; it’s not a race, no one is keeping score, and we’re all bound to get on that train sooner or later, so don’t worry, there is plenty of space for you in the decentralized world of protocols.

Web2 had a great run. Think of all the mind blowing content that was created and shared in this era. Across the world, people connected, invented, shared and interacted every millisecond of the day. It is mindblowing. Remember the Harlem Shake? Yes, let’s not do that again.

No one can argue the fact that Web2 is starting to look a little tired. Meta is seeing its share price collapse, Netflix is surely not “chill” at the moment with losing subscribers, and just when it seemed like things could not get any worse for those beautiful giants, the levels of fraud and data privacy breaches have hit a new high that not even Snoop Dogg has reached on his best day.

So what is going on? Are we in the midst of a tech pandemic?

The reality is, the new internet era of Web3 will be far more disruptive than anything we have seen or experienced before; and this time around, it is poised to make the internet more ethical and secure. Good news? Absolutely.

Why? Because a decentralized, open and transparent internet is an essential part of achieving true freedom on the web, which is ultimately, where us, the users, remain in control of our data, and power is pushed to the edges. 

Since most social media platforms are centralized, it makes them vulnerable to data breaches and manipulation of information. We know that. Take Meta for example. Zuck has spent more time in court in the last few years than at the office. Web2 giants are literally making trillions of dollars off our data, all while controlling our digital lives.

Society has always relied on centralized institutions to mediate trust.

The decentralized nature of web3 and the advent of blockchain technology allows individuals to take control over their data and exchange value directly peer-to-peer, enabling users to safely transact with anyone, anywhere, anytime. An absolute game changer that is. This will usher in new business models which go beyond our imagination.

And so how will this impact the Marcom tech industry? The three word answer is, it will revolutionize it. Sorry, that was four. And regardless whether you fall under a media, creative, client or publisher category, you are now at a crossroads my friend. Will you be the disruptor, the driving force, or will you be an adaptor to change?

In the world of Web3, community is as community does. The community behind a project is the single most important criteria for success, which means Web2 community management and marketing tactics as we know them will require completely new, different and innovative approaches to actually be effective. The full weight of the argument is that Web3 is community-oriented, community-focused, and in many ways, community-run. Don’t think about pretty marketing jargon. Think of a free and fair system with the users in control. Give the people what they want.

And as I said earlier, regardless of where you fall within the industry, there is a massive role for you to play. Part of an agency? Open a Web3 department. Are you a Marketing Manager? Place your product on the Metaverse. Are you an e-commerce business? Enable crypto payments on your website.

Start somewhere. Be part of that change. Do not be afraid, we are all learning and adapting together. Build meaningful and honest relationships with your customers and create partnerships that benefit everyone involved. It’s time we stop thinking of customers as a database and start working towards a community first approach.

The Web3 engine has been switched on. Marketing has entered the metaverse, and it is time to be an advocate for data ownership, innovation, differentiation, and adoption. Virtual communities are reaching new heights, and investments in the metaverse are growing like weeds. More power to the user means more community-driven efforts, therefore make sure you stand out through the experiences and use cases you provide. Laser-focus mainly on providing value to customers.

So, are you ready? Are you steady? Jump on that space rocket dude; let’s go. To the moon.